The summer months have always been a great time for reading. What could be better than a few hours in the sun (or shade!) with a mug of tea and a good book?
An important part of getting ready to go on holiday as a teenager was choosing the books to take with me. Looking back now, the details I remember are often linked to the books I was reading: having my copy of The Two Towers stolen on a ferry or spooking myself with Robert Westall's The Scarecrows in a rainy, wind-blasted cottage in the Lake District. My copy of Hemingway's To Have and Have Not still bears the greasy stains of Ambre Solaire and the odd grain of Dorset sand stuck between the pages. Over the past two days I've been scanning the blue summer sky for aircraft trails while reading Elizabeth Wein's Codename Verity.I'm a little too old to join in the Reading Agency's Summer Reading Challenge to read six books before the schools go back in September, but thought I'd have a go anyway. Here are my six summer reads (plus the one I've already started!)
Leave me a comment and tell me which books you'll be relaxing with this summer.
15 Days Without a Head has been nominated for an award! Wahey!
The Anobii First Book Award celebrates the wealth of new writing included in the Edinburgh International Book Festival programme each year. Every debut novelist and every overseas writer whose words are published in English for the first time is included in the award.
Unlike other literary prizes, this one is selected by you, the readers who champion new writing and who are responsible for making superstars out of debut novelists.
Many of the writers who participate in our Festival programme go on to forge international careers. The Anobii First Book Award enables you to play your part in identifying a future literary legend by reading the books, coming to see the events and, of course, by placing your vote.
This year there are 45 outstanding titles in the running for the Anobii First Book Award. You can browse the shortlisted titles here and vote for your favourite. You can also rate and review the First Book Award titles on Anobii.com, a new website for book lovers.
A future literary legend? That would be nice … anyway, if you enjoyed reading 15 Days Without a Head and would like to vote for it, I'd be very grateful. Of course if you have an alternative favourite on the list – such as those by my fellow Edge authors Sara Grant and Katie Dale, or Teri Terry's Slated – the choice is yours. Whichever title gets your vote, you will automatically be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win a copy of every book on the list. Can't be bad!
Huge congratulations to my fellow Edge authors Sara Grant and Katie Dale on the publication of their debut novels. The first two of Katie's Fairy Tale Twists series for younger readers are published today by Orchard, and Sara's excellent dark dystopian YA novel Dark Parties, by Orion.
Today is also the third date on my 15 Days Without a Head Blog Tour. I'll be returning to chat with Vivienne at Serendipity Reviews as well as dropping in to see Emma at Book Angel Booktopia to choose the Song of the Month.
Oh, and 15 Days Without a Head is now officially out. Wahey!
